Parliamentary group launched to challenge negative body image

Yesterday in Parliament, Campaign for Body Confidence co-founders Jo Swinson MP and Lynne Featherstone MP joined Conservative and Labour MPs to launch the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Body Image.

The group is a cross-party Parliamentary forum which will engage with key players in the advertising, fashion and media industries to promote body confidence, highlight areas of best practice and examine the causes and consequences of negative body image.

Joined by Central YMCA, who is providing the secretariat to the group, fellow supportive MPs and industry experts, Jo welcomed the opportunity for cross-party MPs to challenge the root causes of negative body image.

As Chair of the APPG, Jo said:

“The pressure to conform to the impossible stereotypes we are bombarded with in the media, in advertisements and on the catwalk is overwhelming and damaging. Currently, one in four people in the UK are depressed about their bodies.

“The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Body Image will work to promote body confidence in people of all ages. MPs of all parties are working together to build support on all sides of the House to take this important issue forward.”

Duncan Stephenson, Head of Public Policy and Campaigns at Central YMCA said:

Through our work in the health and education sector we have identified body image anxiety as a challenge for young people – undermining confidence, self esteem and wellbeing. Central YMCA is committed to supporting the Campaign for Body Confidence.

“We hope that the All Party Parliamentary Group on Body Image, to which we provide the secretariat to, will help to raise the important issue of body image anxiety to MPs and a wider audience, and to identify what positive steps can be taken to enable people to be more body confident.”

For more information please see the group’s website.
The more MPs who join the group, the better! If you’d like to write to your MP and ask them to join the APPG on Body Image, see our template letter here.